Complex carbs – fiber and starch – consist of multiple sugar molecules stuck together in a long chain. Complex carbs, except fiber, are broken down in your body into simple carbs, which then turn to energy in our bodies. Fiber is not broken down completely in our digestive tract, and as a result, it provides numerous health benefits.

Complex carbs turn into simple carbs during digestion. You may be asking – what's the difference then? The difference mainly has to do with beneficial nutrients contained in complex carbs together with sugars. For example, fructose can be found both in candy and in an apple, but an apple is also rich in fiber, vitamins and micronutrients, while – as you can guess – candy is not.

Include the following products into your diet to get enough complex carbohydrates: green vegetables, whole grains and foods made of whole grains, such as pasta, oatmeal and whole wheat bread, legumes such as beans, peas, lentils and peanuts and starchy vegetables – potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn and pumpkin.